1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to cookware apparatus, and more particularly pertains to a new and improved balanced cookware construction wherein the same includes a forwardly positioned counter-balance weight to offset the moment of force created by a conventionally associated handle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of cookware and the like is well known in the prior art and as may be appreciated, these devices have normally been of conventional construction with a main open container formed within a fixed handle thereto. Conventional cookware is formed of typical metal forming means, such as stamping, casting, and/or spinning. Resultantly, the main cooking container portion is balanced about a central center of gravity positioned somewhat medially of the bottom cooking surface of the pan with an attendant handle offsetting this balance and thereby positioning the center of gravity of the cookware towards a rear vertical wall of such cookware proximate the handle positioning. With limited cooking material positioned within the cookware, the cookware tends to tip towards the handle portion and is thereby does not presenting a full cooking surface in association with a conventional heating element, such as in a gas or electric stove. In this connection, there is extensive history of cookware which is utilized to provide efficient and effective cooking of various foods and the like positioned within such cookware. For example, U.S. Pat. No. Des. 230,460 illustrates a conventional cooking pan with a forwardly positioned tab with a hole therethrough apparently for the positioning tab with a like therethrough for storage of the pan. The patent is of interest only in the positioning of a forwardly oriented off-center tab in relation to a frypan.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,398,655 to Smith illustrates a turnover pan with a forwardly overlying lip in opposed relationship to a handle whereby the lip is utilized in the patent environment and teaching for the turning of an egg or the like, but the Smith patent does set forth an interesting forwardly oriented offset weight for a different purpose and structure to the instant invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,788,561 to Mueller sets forth a method of firing pottery with transmitting elements described as firing feet associated with a pan but of incidental construction in the cookware contemplated by Mueller.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,352,324 to Noh presents a frying pan with a removable grease catcher for the prevention of the accumulation of hot cooking oil or the like in the utilization of the frying pan. An opening positioned proximate and underlying the handle of the frypan presents itself to an underlying catch basin for the capture of grease but the Noh patent, as is typical of prior art teachings, merely aggravates the already unbalanced condition of the frypan and as typical of such construction, may in fact be dangerous as the grease and hot foods contained within such a frypan effect a greater tendency of the pan to tip.
As such, it may be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for a new and improved balanced cookware construction wherein the same presents construction for the balancing of an associated handle attached to such cookware for improved cooking, storage, and ease of use of such cookware, and in this respect, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.